It was a flat wicket at the Bullring in Johannesburg, and after Mahendra Singh Dhoni called right at the toss, India openers Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan were set to light up the stadium with their batting fireworks.

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Image: The Indian team celebrates with the trophy after winning the World Twenty20 Championship final against Pakistan at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa on September 24, 2007Photographs: Tom Shaw/Getty Images

PHOTOS: When India beat Pakistan and brought the WT20 Cup home

Pathan had opened the innings that day as regular opener Virender Sehwag had to sit out due to a groin injury.

He and Gambhir made their intentions clear at the outset.

Yusuf clobbered Mohammad Asif for a huge six in the first over as India gathered 13 runs from it.

At the other end, Gambhir batted beautifully while Yusuf tried to go for the big shots.

In Asif’s second over, Yusuf square drove the bowler for a boundary. However, Asif had his revenge by dismissing him on the next ball, the Indian top-edging a pull shot for Shoaib Malik to take the skier at mid-on.

Yusuf scored 15 off eight balls.

Next in was Robin Uthappa.

The Karnataka batsman failed to fire and lasted just 11 balls. Trying to slam one over cover off Sohail Tanvir, he mistimed the shot and was caught by Shahid Afridi at cover for 8. India: 40-2 after 5.4 overs.

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Image: Sohail Tanveer is congratulated by his Pakistan teammates after taking the wicket of Robin UthappaPhotographs: Tom Shaw/Getty Images

PHOTOS: When India beat Pakistan and brought the WT20 Cup home

Even Yuvraj Singh and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who played a huge part in getting India to the final, failed to deliver when it mattered.

Yuvraj played a subdued innings, scoring just 14 off 19 deliveries. He smashed just one boundary before top-edging Umar Gul for the bowler to take an easy return catch in the 14th over.

Two overs later, Dhoni was done in by some aggressive bowling by Gul and India was reduced to 111 for 4 after 15.2 over.

Gul was 'no-balled' for a beamer on the first ball. Nevertheless, he still followed it up with another short delivery. Then, on the third ball, Dhoni went for a big heave, missed, and his leg stump went flying to the delight of the Pakistan side.

PHOTOS: When India beat Pakistan and brought the WT20 Cup home

He scored his third half-century of the tournament, even as India could not capitalise on a reasonably good start.

The left-hander batted through the first 18 overs, stroking eight boundaries and two sixes. He needed only 54 balls for his fluent knock of 75, picking boundaries with the pull and cut with relish even as Pakistan’s tight bowling and fielding kept the Indians in check.

In the closing overs young Rohit Sharma took matters into his hands and clobbered runs all over the park.

He scored 30 not out off 16 balls to take India to 157 for five in their 20 overs.

PHOTOS: When India beat Pakistan and brought the WT20 Cup home

The match stayed true to the famous saying, ‘It is not over till the last ball is bowled’.

Pakistan went into the last over needing 13 runs for victory, with only one wicket left.

Dhoni pulled out a surprise, a gamble nearly, as he wrested faith in young Joginder Sharma to deliver.

Joginder, who was clearly overawed by the enormity of the occasion, started with a wide and followed it with a dot ball.

Then, the next delivery went sailing into the sight-screen as Misbah hit his fourth six that drove India to despair.

Now, with just six needed off four balls, it looked all over for India with Misbah on the rampage.

However, Dhoni’s gamble paid off as Misbah (44 off 38 balls) attempted a paddle-scoop off the next delivery over fine leg. The ball flew high and Sreesanth, at short fine-leg, made no mistake with the catch.